It turns out it was star Chris Pratt's idea to cast fan-favorite actor Kurt Russell ("Escape from New York," "The Thing") in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" as Star-Lord's father. The veteran actor will be making his debut in the sequel as Peter Quill's father -- Ego, the living planet, in the film -- who has taken on a humanoid form.

RELATED: Ego Check: Who is Star-Lord's Father, the Living Planet?

In an interview with Empire, "Guardians" director James Gunn revealed, "He was actually not in my head initially, but one day Chris suggested him," adding, "I would have been really disappointed if he’d said no. Hey, if you have to cast anything, Kurt’s a pretty good way to go."

Touching a bit on the relationship of Quill and his father in the film, Pratt said the sequel will play with his character's expectations of his father. "You’re going to see these characters having to endure the realities of being in a family,” Pratt told the mag. "You’re talking about a guy who’s been longing to know who his father is for a long time. He’ll discover if that person lives up to the expectations he has in his head."

RELATED: SDCC: First Look at Kurt Russell's "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" Costume

Directed by Gunn and starring Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Kurt Russell, Karen Gillan, Michael Rooker, Sylvester Stallone and many others, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" hits theaters on May 5, 2017.